Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, February 13, 2001

"It sucks," he said last night. "It sucks, just sucks. What else can I say?"

How about a little more bite in that sound?

"It's the worst," Fortson continued. "It's cruel. It's cruel punishment. It's killing me not being able to play. It's like someone just put you in the corner and left you there."

Fortson is beginning to emerge from the confinement, about 11 weeks after having surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot. He and the Warriors bristle at the mention of a timetable, but the 6-foot-8, 260-pound power forward is driven to return this season, perhaps in one month.

His recovery has progressed to the point that he can engage in what the team calls "nonimpact cardiovascular" activity, which includes work on the treadmill and stationary bike, but no running.

While the Warriors (15-33) practiced in the early evening in preparation for tonight's game against the Phoenix Suns (28-20) at the Arena in Oakland, Fortson pedaled and pedaled on a bike until he appeared primed for the Tour de France.

Small steps to be sure, but Fortson is taking them without pain. Last Friday, he finally had an immobilization boot removed from his foot, though he said: "The doctor (Dr. Roger Mann) lied to me. He told me I'd be back walking in four weeks. I wasn't back walking for like eight, nine weeks. . . . That's the way my process has been. There have been delays, but everybody is doing what's best for me so I can help this team in the future."

Fortson carried this team in the past. In the six games he played, he averaged 16.7 points and 16.3 rebounds and toughened the Warriors with his fearless play inside. He finished on the right foot, scoring 21 points and grabbing 21 rebounds against Orlando on Nov. 12 in his last appearance before surgery.

All Fortson can do now is observe the Warriors from the sideline, resist the urge to climb the walls out of boredom -- which probably does not qualify as nonimpact cardiovascular activity -- and relish the thought of reclaiming his place in the paint.

"The next step is to get out there and get some contact," Fortson said. "Give a couple elbows, take a couple elbows. That's what I do. It's a tough process right now, but you just hope it's worth the wait.

"I really don't like to sit around and watch," added Fortson, who had a similar surgery in October 1999 while playing with Boston. "It's too hard for me to handle. Sometimes you wish you could trade everything in for your health. "

TWO MISS PRACTICE: Neither backup point guard Vonteego Cummings nor rookie small forward Chris Porter attended last night's practice. Both players were unexcused from the workout.

It is believed that Cummings spent the All-Star break in Georgia and Porter traveled to Alabama. The team said both players missed flights bound for the Bay Area. According to the collective bargaining agreement, Cummings and Porter could be fined up to $2,500 apiece.

"It's always the danger when everybody takes off," coach Dave Cowens said. "There's no excuse to miss practice, but sometimes there is a good reason. They're supposed to be here. We'll talk to them and figure it out."

The no-shows came eight days after starting point guard and then-captain Mookie Blaylock skipped an afternoon practice in San Antonio to play golf.

HUGHES READY: Larry Hughes, who has sat out the past three games with a sprained right thumb, is expected to play tonight. Cowens plans to bring Hughes off the bench and start Bob Sura at shooting guard.

AGENT PLEADS GUILTY: A Las Vegas sports agent pleaded guilty to charges that he illegally paid Porter when he was at Auburn.

Agent Robert L. Walsh pleaded guilty in Lee County Circuit Court to conspiracy to interfere with or hinder business. The charge is a misdemeanor.

Walsh was given a one-year suspended jail sentence and ordered to serve two years of probation. He also was ordered to pay Auburn $20,000 restitution and to suspend his license with the NBA to do business as a sports agent.

The incident caused Porter to lose his eligibility before the end of the 1999-2000 season.

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